How Eeee-nteresting!

In my daily jog through the blogs, I came across a blogger questioning the dynamics of blogging.  She wonders why people blog if they have no commenters.  Some people got a little pissy about the question, thinking she was downgrading the bloggers that have a small or non-existant audience.  I didn't really take it that way.  I understood the question to be more of a study of motives, something that has been on my mind for awhile now.  Try to hang with me while I dissect my own opinion about Knitblogland, which is, as far as I can tell, located somewhere in Wisconsin.*

I starting blogging about a year and a half ago, on Blogger.  I started my blog after reading the Harlot on a daily basis, then discovering Crazy Aunt Purl.  I obsessively visited blogs that belonged to their commenters, and really, really wanted in on the community.  To me community is about communication, so I was a little bummed that no one wanted to read me.  No one wanted to comment to me.  Then I got off the pity wagon and started to comment in places other than the uber-bloggers.

I got this nifty Typepad account because Blogger starting screwing up on pictures and posts.  Those with Blogger can totally understand this.  Once I made the switch, I immediately starting commenting on more and more blogs, hoping to catch someone's eye.  It was a success if a post gained a comment; it was cause to celebrate if someone linked my site to their page.  I wanted to gain communication and friends, and it was happening! 

I joined Rhinebeck Bingo because I thought that would be an awesome way to make new friends.  Once again, the little guy was being trounced by the uber-blogger.  I actually had people in the crowd look me in the eye and walk away when I asked if they were on my bingo sheet.  People would ask my name, mark an X on their sheet, and walk away.  They didn't even say thank you or nice to meet you.  It was a joke, and a humiliating joke at that.  The crowds found the uber-bloggers, the ones who get hundreds of comments a day.  Did anyone in that crowd understand they would have gained a lifelong reader and maybe a buddy if they had just let me know their name and used some manners?  No, and they didn't care.  They had bigger and better things to do.  I have to confess, I was upset.  I mean, couldn't just one person show some kindness?  I'm not a cry-baby here!  I tried to talk to these people!  I tried to get into the clique!

I found myself curious about these uber-bloggers.  They have so many comments!  People crawl over themselves to get to shake their hand!  How do they keep it personal?  They don't.  They can't possibly reply everyday to hundreds of comments via email.  Once I realized how impersonal some of these sites were, I stopped worrying about becoming one of them.  I may never have a catch.  I may be just plain-jane, straight, quietly conservative, passively Protestant Krista who could never knit a sweater in a week, but I like the friends I've made.  I like the fact that I am able to consider them friends.  I can email them with questions, worries, congratulations, and praise.  The few that I have are my buddies.  I would always welcome more, but I'm happy with what I have.  Love you guys!  Thank you for being there!

* JOKE.  Get it?

Comments

[Karen]

Yup, I don't leave comments on the "uber-blogs" because I feel like the author probably doesn't even read them. After the first 50, I would think they all blur together! I'd much rather spend my time leaving comments for people who will be glad to get them. :)

[The Feminist Mafia]

Strangely, some people who appear to be very personable on the internet have few social skills in real life. It's a very strange phenomenon and I've heard way too many stories about it. It's one of the reasons why I'm pretty anonymous and don't attend big fiber festivals.

But I'm reading you. Hi.

[Krista]

Two things:

1) The post title reminds me of some comedy routine from who-knows-where that my mom always imitates: (German accent) "Very interesting, but schtupid.

2) I was never part of the in-crowd in school, why would that start now? I don't even read the Uber-bloggers except Crazy Aunt Purl, because I just find her funny. I like to get to know people and them to get to know me through blogging. I live so far from anything that could be called a knit-community that knitting blogs have to become my community where I can get inspiration and support.

[Monica]

hi Krista,

You were on my card for Rhinebeck and I met you briefly but for me it was an overwhelming experience. I relate to what you wrote. It's funny because I have all my card folks bookmarked and I catch up on their blogs but that experience was a mix of interesting, fun, and well weird. :)

[Yvonne in Southwest Virginia]

Thanks, Krista. It's nice to know someone else feels as I do. I read a lot of blogs, even though I don't have one myself, and IF I comment, it's because I'm a pretty regular reader, I enjoyed the post, and I feel like an (unknown) buddy. Some bloggers have been gracious about replying, some not so much. At first, I was bothered by that but eventually I just decided it was their loss. I'm a funny, unique (and sometimes eccentric) individual whose led an interesting life and who has a good knowledge of it and knitting. I'd_have_made_a_good_friend...because I know the sweetness and value of having one.

Generally, I think most bloggers are pretty brave people, to put themselves *out there* with all their experiences and vulnerabilities. I give them my respect and extend to them my friendship...until they show me it's undeserved.

I'm glad Steph opened up this can of worms. It certainly seems to have gotten a lot of people thinking.

[Jen]

Hi Krista,
I linked to you from the comment you posted on that thread - I was reading through them and decided to stop by and visit blogs belonging to people who had the same feelings as I do. So, Hi :)
The knitblogging community is so huge that it's impossible to even be aware of all the individual blogs out there - I think that's why everyone frequents the "uberblogs" - they're on just about every sidebar! But I'm thankful for situations like this, where I can be led to all sorts of little known (and more interesting!) blogs.
Jen

[Leah]

Hi Krista, I too found your comment on the afore mentioned blog post and wanted to stop by. I'm really sorry you had such a bad experience with rhinebeck. It is a shame that people will behave like that.

Personally I think the whole "clique" & "uber-blogger" thing is just crazy. I get a fair share of traffic & comments on my blog but I also try to reciprocate each one with a reply and a visit to that blog. It can be difficult but it's totally worth it in the end.

When I first started I didn't get many comments at all but I met a few bloggers through craftster.org who became good friends & who have since become "uber-bloggers". I would say for at least two of them they don't & can't respond to ever comment but if you have a question about something they will always answer.

In the end I think it's good that you have let your blog become what you want it to be. It should be about connecting but it should also be personal & something that satisfies you.

All that aside I love your bright socks!! That is a great colorway!! :)

[Stephanie]

This really is eeeen-teresting...isn't it?

I always, always read every comment that I get, but I don't answer them all. I answer as many as I can, I visit the blogs of other people in my community as much as I can, and I take pride in trying really hard to be involved with the cyber-community I love so much. You're right though...It's a very different experience - intimacy wise, from what blogging was like when 10 people commented on my post, I knew all of them and it was like being at a little dinner party.

Having more people at the dinner party has meant that I have to work a lot harder at being with people, but it's still being a member of a community - but you're right.. the experience has changed.

[BigAlice]

Thanks for posting. I do enjoy reading your blog.

[vanessa]

hi krista! the blogger bingo was mind-boggling ;-)
i've been lucky in that i belong to a few yahoo groups, so most of my readers (and blogs i read), i already "knew".
but i love reading new blogs, most of the new blogs i find are from reading comments on the blogs i like.

[Stephanie]

Hi, Krista. I'm Stephanie and found your weblog link-hopping through januaryone.com's comments.

I think you have it right on about how it all should work. Community should be about communication, and relationships, and it shouldn't be a who knows who. I think it's really great that you found people through this whole web thing that you can call friends, rather than just following the web celebrities and hoping for some attention there. =)

[Ann]

I love what you say about knitblogging being about communication and relationships. The whole reason Kay and I started a blog was because we had small kids and didn't have the time to hang out in yarn shops. And--given our weird tastes in yarn and techniques--there was no such thing as a literal knitting circle big enough for us. What a relief to find all these knitters who were as obsessed as we were . . .

At this point, the knitting blog world is so huge, and there are so many hundreds of blogs out there, that I think it takes a while to navigate them all. And there's a blog for every taste, it seems. Which is a great thing.

Re comments--I read every single comment with total and complete relish, and I respond as best I can. I cannot believe how smart and funny knitters are, and I never cease to be amazed at how all this blogging has changed my life. I try to describe it to my 75-year-old dad, and he looks at me like I'm nuts. Which, OK, I guess I am.

Blog on! Never stop!

[Lucia]

Now I'm racking my brain desperately trying to remember if I met you at Blogger Bingo and maybe didn't stop to chat because I got distracted or something. If I came off rude, to you or anyone else, I apologize. I'm very much a lesser-known blogger, and I love to meet others like me. Every one of us has a lot to say. Whether at a fiber festival or through blogs, I wish I could settle in for a nice leisurely chat with everyone, and that would require a year's worth of hours in one day. Where is a Time-Turner when I need one?

I really think the intent of Blogger Bingo was to get us all to mingle with bloggers we might not have met or read before, and I did meet a bunch of new people. So many bloggers, so little time: it turned into a real zoo.

I have some regular readers I know in real life, and some I met through blogs, and some who stop by now and then and may comment if I'm running a contest. I have a really hard time not measuring myself by how many comments I get, and keeping in mind that it's not about that.

Oh, and in my entire life I have finished exactly one sweater, and I had to give it to someone three sizes smaller than the original intended recipient :). I knit lots of socks and hats and scarves, and one of these days I *will* finish a sweater.

[sharon]

Hi--sorry to be responding to an old post, but I just found you (because I was googling the Tomten jacket, which I have on the needles) and I wanted to weigh in on the topic (which is a good one). I, too, wanted to blog with the big girls, so to speak. I wasn't getting any interaction from the widely read bloggers, so I started visiting blogs without much readership but with great knitting/crocheting. I've made online friends this way, and my goal has changed--instead of having zillions of readers, I'd like to keep it manageable so I can get to know other knitting folk better. They are, after all, bright and interesting people, and I've learned volumes from them.

I like your blog, too!